Thursday, February 22, 2007
Is Greenberg’s bunch capable of a March run?
Jeff Gilbert
Gilbert is the sports editor for The Roanoke Times
Recent columns
Can they play with the best teams from other conferences? If you believe in ratings indexes such as the RPI and Sagarin — and in Tech’s resume, then you have to expect good things.
Tech’s resume? Yes, Tech’s resume.
But didn’t they lose nonconference games to teams like Western Michigan and Marshall? And aren’t they 0-2 against North Carolina State?
Well, yeah.
But take a look at the ACC standings. Against the other five teams in the top half of the 12-team league, the Hokies are 6-1. They swept the mighty Tar Heels and won at Duke.
“We’ve got guys who like to play on big stages,” senior center Coleman Collins said.
The stage was big Wednesday night at Cassell Coliseum. Boston College was in town and so was ESPN. The Hokies took a big bow after dismantling the Eagles 79-62 to move into a tie for second place in the ACC with Virginia.
This Tech show was full of positive energy, and had it been opening night, the reviews would have been full of praise. From Deron Washington’s flying dunks to Zabian Dowdell’s lockdown defense on Tyrese Rice, this show had a little bit of everything the fans — and coach Seth Greenberg — wanted to see.
“When we come out with that swagger like that, we feel like we’re one of the better teams in the country,” Collins said.
Now for the encore.
And there will be many. First is the drive to win the ACC regular season title. Next will be the ACC Tournament. Then comes the NCAAs.
We all know about “one game at a time,” but there is no doubt that this team and at least 64 others are already thinking about it.
“We feel like in the ACC Tournament and in the tournament that comes after that, that anytime we step on the court we can win,” Collins said.
Collins stayed way from saying “NCAA,” but it was obvious on this night that the Hokies are good enough to win a game or two in March.
They’ve proven they can win on the road and that they can beat all of the best teams in the conference, so they ought to be able to win on a neutral court.
Lackluster performances, however, like this past Sunday at N.C. State, won’t do in March.
Big stages, confidence, good game plans, whatever, aren’t enough for this team. There is talent on this team, but it is not talent-laden. The Hokies have to play well to win.
Teams like North Carolina can occasionally get by on talent. Tech can’t.
Dowdell has to take the other point guard out of the game, A.D. Vassallo has to be hitting 3-pointers, Deron Washington has to make good things happen on both ends and the list goes on.
Tech is as capable as the next team of getting to the Sweet 16.
It’s also just as apt to be one and done.
“When we’re good, we’re really good,” Greenberg said. “When we’re not so good, we’re really not so good.”
Better be good in March.
